Those Little Things
by PrincessBellePrinceAdam
Summary: A collection of drabbles about the many Power Rangers characters. Ten things no one ever knew.
1. Rose

_A/N: So this "10 Things" challenge has been circulating around the Harry Potter fandom lately, and I thought that with the many characters of Power Rangers, it would work just as well. I've started with Rose, since she's one of my personal favorites. Next will be Mack, and I __**will**__ take requests. Pairings will be stated clearly within the reading. _

**Those Little Things**

1.) She was jealous of her younger sister. Sure, she was smart, but Lindsay was beautiful. For some reason, her parents seemed to believe looks were everything. They cherished their youngest daughter, and Rose often felt lost in her own family.

2.) Even though Rose was jealous of the affection Lindsay received from their parents, she would have given anything to be close to her baby sister.

3.) She left for college at the age of twelve. She felt small and alone – she had a room to herself – and on the first night she missed Lindsay so badly that she cried herself to sleep.

She never could explain _why_ she missed her sister so much at first. They weren't close. But still, Rose missed Lindsay and often thought there was something missing in her life where her sister should be.

4.) When she first met Mack, she was reluctant to admit that she liked him, even to herself. She wasn't anything special – her parents and sister had confirmed that over the years – and if she admitted her attraction to him, she would surely get her heart broken.

5.) The day Mack came to see her after the team first split up was the first day she felt halfway human for weeks. Being alone in London had been miserable, now that she knew what it was like to have such great friends.

But as soon as Mack had poked his head into her classroom and started running down the steps to her, she felt alive again.

6.) The day Mack told them the truth about what he was, her heart broke.

The day she thought Mack was gone, her heart shattered.

The day Mack proposed was one of the best days of her life and her heart soared.

7.) She didn't favor one of her children over the other two. She made it a point to tell each of them how special they were.

8.) She didn't favor Jamie, but she did feel that she worried over her eldest more than she worried about Serena or Matt. Jamie was the most like her, introverted and a total bookworm. The oldest Hartford had only had two really close friends, Syd Drew and Sky Tate, and when she got into high school, she only dated one boy the whole four years.

What Rose worried about was that Jamie didn't get out into the world enough.

9.) Rose also thought that her daughters were going to make the same mistakes that she and Lindsay made; that they would miss out on having a sister.

When Jamie's high school boyfriend, Robbie, broke up with her shortly before graduation, Jamie didn't turn to Syd, or even to Sky. She turned to her little sister.

That was how Rose found out her girls were going to be just fine.

10.) She never once regretted marrying Mack and having children with him, despite how young they'd been when he first slid the wedding ring onto her finger.

He was her best friend, and she was his, and they loved each other.

What was there to regret?


	2. Mack

**Those Little Things**

1.) He liked to read. He didn't know a lot of kids his own age and hardly got a chance to hang out with the ones he did know.

He was a social guy; he could find something in common with most people that he talked to. But his father's protective (if not suffocating) restrictions ensured he spent a lot of time at the mansion.

Reading was great. At least when he read he could pretend to be somewhere other than San Angeles.

2.) When his world changed that fateful day, he was ecstatic. Here was his chance to see the world. Here was his chance to prove he wasn't just some spoiled rich kid with a huge house and access to just about everything anyone could imagine.

Here was his chance to know what it was like to have real friends.

3.) He thought Rose was one of the most interesting people he had ever met. She was intelligent, obviously, and very pretty, and she actually managed to laugh at his terrible jokes.

She seemed to be embarrassed the first time he told her she was beautiful, but she wouldn't tell him why.

He promised himself he would find out one day,

When he did find out why she was embarrassed, he just held her.

4.) At first, he tired not to be so blatant about his crush on Rose, not wanting to put her in any more danger than she already was just by being part of the team.

Even so, he couldn't help but notice all the little things she did. For instance, he knew she looked at her feet when she was embarrassed and that she combed her fingers through her hair when she was nervous. She bit her lip when she was deep in concentration, and when she was happy she smiled the prettiest smile.

Sometimes he caught himself staring at her and was certain that everyone could tell.

5.) Will knew, and called the red ranger on it several times, but even with his friend's insistence on being honest with Rose, Mack could never bring himself to tell her how he really felt.

It was Bridge who told him (before mentioning someone named Sky was going to kill him) that in his own time period, Mack and Rose Hartford were still an important asset to the ranger family and that they did work at a place called SPD.

That was definitely encouraging for him, but even when he went to see Rose in London, he couldn't even admit how much he missed her.

6.) Looking back at the facts, he should have known there was something wrong with him. Looking back, everything added up to the horrifying conclusion that he wasn't human.

No wonder his father was always so worried about him – he was an expensive piece of equipment. No wonder he shouldn't have been affected by luck – good _or_ bad. No wonder he hadn't been able to go through the force field after Tyzonn and Rose.

7.) Even though he and his father made nice in the end, Mack never really forgave his father. Not until nearly three years later, anyway.

Rose spoke to her parents and sister as little as possible, but she had invited them to the wedding. She waited to hear back for three weeks and got no response. When she went to see them in person, her mother had coldly informed her they would not attend.

There was no one to walk her down the aisle, not until Andrew had stepped up and volunteered. The way Rose's eyes lit up and the tone of her voice as she thanked him was what really made Mack forgive his father.

8.) He hated being in the spotlight; hated that the family name was connected with immeasurable amounts of money, property and other investments.

Rose hated it too, which cemented his choice. It was the best feeling in the world to know that the person he had chosen to spend his life with loved him for him, not the status.

When they were newlyweds, they often ditched the mandatory black-tie affairs. They had their own parties, during which they found a reclusive spot where they talked and cuddled and wished they were somewhere else.

9.) He thought his kids were miracles. He supposed most fathers thought the same thing, but his really were. Without the fully assembled Corona Aurora, he never would have been human and they never would have existed.

He told every one of his three children how much he loved them every day, even when they were grown.

10.) He never once doubted how lucky he was to have Rose.


	3. Syd

**Those Little Things**

1.) When she was little, she used to sit in her father's lap and sing. She sung him nursery rhymes, lullabies, even snippets of current pop songs she heard on TV.

Even then, people around her told her she had a pretty voice. Aunt Angela in particular used to pass along a compliment.

Whenever this happened, Syd's face would light up in response. Then the little girl would carry on, louder than before.

2.) She remembered being proud of her parents, even at a young age. She thought they were heroes, not because they had two essential jobs needed in society, but because they loved what they did.

At the age of four, she promised herself that one day, she would do something useful to society, so that Mommy and Daddy would be proud of _her._

3.) She was ecstatic to hear that the new neighbors had a daughter her own age. When she and her parents had gone to introduce themselves to the new family, she couldn't wait to meet the girl who would surely become her best friend.

That first day, she and Jamie played in front of Jamie's house for hours. The two girls had a lot of things in common and were fast friends.

Then, to complete their trio, Sky Tate Collins had stood up to some of the older neighborhood kids for them. After that, the three were inseparable.

4.) The idea of singing professionally never really occurred to her until she was twelve. She, Jamie and Sky attended private school, which proved to have its connections.

She won first place in the talent show that year. In the audience was the VP of Big Machine Records. Immediately following the show, he approached the Graysons, saying he was interested in signing her.

As soon as the words were out of the VP's mouth, singing was suddenly the only future Syd could ever imagine herself having.

5.) Her mother came with her to her first recording session. She watched from the other side of the glass wall, and there was such _pride_ on her face that Syd felt like she was on top of the world.

One day, Syd told herself, I'll look at my daughter like that.

6.) While she was away, sometimes she worried Sky and Jamie would get closer. She was afraid to come home to find her two best friends had become a couple.

How pleasantly surprised she was to come home to see Jamie head over heels for a boy named Robbie.

7.) Syd knew that her parents, Jamie, and probably even Sky himself thought that she had gone to SPD for Sky.

That was only part of the reason.

The other part was that she had never forgotten her oath to herself to be a hero, just like her mother and father.

8.) She had loved being an only child until she had become a ranger. As the team slowly became her surrogate brothers and sister, Syd wished for a flesh–and–blood sibling.

9.) After Emperor Gruumm was put in prison, Sky got over himself and asked her out.

After nearly four years, when he finally got around to proposing to her, Syd punched him. He scowled, but more out of irritation than pain. He asked why she had done that.

She was nothing if not honest. She told him not to tease her.

He was serious.

She was glad, and she accepted.

10.) Sky had wanted to name their first child after one of the original Earth rangers. He suggested Jason for a boy and Kimberly for a girl.

She had put her foot down. She wanted her children to have their own names; to not have to live up to such a powerful legacy.

She liked Kristin for a girl and Aaron for a boy.

She got her way.

But when they had their third child, another girl, Sky wanted to name her after Z.

It was one of the few times in their marriage that _he_ got _his_ way.


	4. Sky

**Those Little Things**

1.) The first memory he had was of his mom and dad. The three of them were at a neighborhood park just ten minutes from home. It was a sunny day, the temperature just right for playing outside.

He remembered being on the swingset, his mother and father just a few feet away. He remembered his father suggesting that his mom get on the swing so he could push her. His mom smiled and then rolled her eyes.

He remembered as the three of them went home his mom and dad were trailing along behind him. When he turned around, he saw them lean in to embrace. They walked home with their arms around each other.

2.) Sometimes he had nightmares about the day his dad died. He imagined different scenarios – the dreams were never quite the same.

When he woke up, he was always scared.

3.) When he saw some older boys pinking on two little girls, he dropped the basketball he'd been playing with and ran down the street.

He didn't actually touch the boys. He put up a shield in front of the girls to protect them and then yelled for the boys to pick on someone their own size.

The blond girl, who he recognized as being Aunt Dana and Uncle Carter's daughter, hugged him.

From then on, the girls never let him out of their sight, and it stayed like that for nearly all of their lives.

4.) Sometimes, when he thought about the way he acted towards his mother, he was ashamed of himself. He knew she always did her best, but angry as he was, he never cared. He pushed her away.

When he finished high school and enrolled at the academy, his mother actually cried.

5.) Being at SPD was the best. He loved running for miles at a time, training with firearms and zords and his special class where he learned to hone his power. He even had a close friend in Dru Harrington. It was easily the best he had felt since his dad's death, even counting the time he spent with Syd and Jamie.

When Syd showed up, determined to be with him, the happy bubble popped.

6.) He never really hated Jack. He hated himself for not being good enough to be red.

But being hostile to Jack was easier than feeling he had failed.

7.) When Syd got even the slightest bump or bruise Sky wished she would stop being a ranger before someone took her away from him.

Sometimes, he saw her looking at him and knew she was probably thinking the same thing.

8.) When he got to be red permanently, he wasn't nearly as excited as he thought he would be. Being in red was a dream come true…but it just didn't feel as _right_ as he thought it would feel.

He knew, deep down, that it didn't feel right because he had never earned it. If it had been his color since the beginning, it would probably have been a better fit. The only reason he was in red was because Jack had left, and it was only expected that blue ranger be moved up to red.

He never really felt comfortable wearing his red jacket, or even wearing a red shirt. _Blue_ was his color.

9.) He never told Syd how much it hurt him when she punched him. Hearing her tell him not to tease her with the prospect of marriage was just _painful._

Didn't she knew he would never, ever be so cruel to her?

10.) There was no line he wouldn't cross if it was for his family. There was nothing he wouldn't do if it was for his Lizzie, or his Aaron, or his Kris. He would do anything for those kids, and for his Sydney.

It was what being a father and husband was all about.


	5. Z

**Those Little Things**

1.) She remembered a happy home as a small child. She remembered flowers all over the house, a vase in every room. She remembered a sunny bedroom painted yellow filled with her toys. She remembered Mama and Daddy, laughing together. She remembered feeling safe with Daddy.

She remembered aunts and uncles, all of whom wore certain colors. She remembered Uncle Cole in red, and how he taught her to see the good in people. She remembered Aunt Alyssa always wearing white and how she took learning seriously. She remembered Uncle Eric and Aunt Taylor in red and yellow, teaching her to be tough. She remembered Uncle Max in blue, and how he taught her how to laugh.

2.) Daddy was a soft spoken man, but somehow he always spoke the words she needed to hear. He took care of her when she was sick, and hugged her when she was sad.

Somehow, he was always there when she needed him, like a daddy should be.

3.) It was Uncle Max who first called her "Z." He claimed "Elizabeth" was too long, and "Lizzie" was too common of a nickname. He said she should get her own pet name, one as unique as her.

The name stuck, and after a year, she was only called by her full name when someone was angry with her.

4.) They moved to New Tech when she was six. She was sad to go, but Daddy had explained that they needed to move.

The doctors were better in New Tech, and Mama was sick.

He told her to be a big girl and to look on the bright side. Moving to a new place meant a whole new world for her to explore.

5.) Mama…losing Mama was hard for her. She was only seven when it happened.

She remembered crying and crying until there were no tears left to cry.

She remembered not wanting to talk to Daddy.

Then she regretted pushing him away. She was nine when Daddy died in an accident.

Uncle Max wanted her, but the lawyer said no. She didn't understand _why_ it seemed to matter that Uncle Max wasn't married, and only had a minimum wage job.

They sent her to an orphanage.

6.) The day she ran away from school, she was planning on going to Turtle Cove. She would go live with Uncle Max. They didn't have to tell anyone.

But then the monster came, followed by the mysterious man who saved her.

She lost the necklace Daddy gave her…

Then she met Jack, and she had to trust him.

7.) She always liked Syd, spoiled and prissy as the pink ranger was. She could tell that under the glamour, the petite blond was a good person.

Actually, she was a little jealous of Syd. It seemed that everything had been handed to her on the proverbial silver platter.

That was why she was quick to pick a fight with her pink teammate, but secretly, Z always loved Syd like a sister.

8.) Z knew Bridge was different, even from the others, herself included. He couldn't hide what he was – it was obvious he was special from the first time she saw him. He was wearing gloves and he rambled and for the briefest second, he smiled at her.

It wasn't just the toast obsession and rambling – though Z privately thought both qualities were endearing – it was that he had to put himself out there. She, Jack, Syd and Sky could hide themselves and what they were, but Bridge couldn't. He was who he was and he was proud.

Z really admired that about him.

9.) When Gruumm was gone, she took a vacation.

She went home to Turtle Cove, to see her long lost family.

SPD was great; it had become home over the last year.

But her crowded dorm was nothing – _nothing ­– _compared to seeing her aunts and uncles. They were all so proud to have her as one of their own, a ranger.

10.) She never thought she would get married.

It really came as a shock when Bridge proposed, but there was only one answer she could possibly have for him.

The answer was "Yes."


	6. Bridge

**Those Little Things**

1.) As a child, he was adored by his parents. Even when his powers began to surface and he started to shy away from human contact, his mother was always understanding and supportive and his father always proud of him.

It grew to mean everything to him, his parents' love. The fact that he had two people that loved him so unconditionally was what gave Bridge courage whenever things got too complicated and stressful.

2.) He started eating toast on a daily basis at the age of six. His grandma was staying with him while his mom and dad were away, and every morning there were two slices of heavily buttered toast next to his cereal bowl.

He had had toast before, of course, but there was just something special about the way his grandma made it.

He hadn't stopped eating toast since.

3.) When he was fifteen, he met a girl. Her name was Bailey, and she was his first love.

Bailey had long red hair that usually hung down her back in a thick braid. Her eyes were green and her skin was milky white. She had the most dazzling smile.

She approached him first, telling him that she thought he was cute. He had smiled back shyly, admitting that he had been interested in her for awhile.

Things were great. Bailey was smart and took interest in his inventions. She made him laugh, and didn't mind his toast obsession or that he rambled. Bailey did wonder about the gloves that he constantly wore, but he always managed to push the topic aside.

After six months, he told her his secret.

She never spoke to him again.

4.) It was his mother who suggested he try SPD. He had spent the summer between sophomore and junior years heartbroken over Bailey.

She brought him an information pamphlet, kindly telling him it was good to try new things.

5.) He wanted a change, and after a special meeting with the commander himself, Bridge made his life–altering decision.

He was at SPD training as a C–Squad cadet within the month.

6.) He had two teammates, Syd and Sky, and he didn't have to be psychic to tell they cared deeply for one another.

What he liked best about his teammates, though, was that they were different, just like he was.

He needed that because after Bailey, he was reluctant to trust anyone with the secret he harbored.

7.) The team dynamic was stressed. He often got a headache from the girls' petty bickering, and Sky's sulkiness and Jack's self doubts, the ones that he tried so, so hard to keep hidden.

But underneath all the yells and screams, between the make–ups and the next fight, Bridge knew they were family. Syd and Z were sisters, and if anyone were to ask Sky or Jack if he had a brother, the answer would have been yes.

That was how he knew that somehow, they would pull together and stand their ground. That was how he knew there was hope for the world.

8.) Z was so, so interesting to him. She didn't take any nonsense from anyone and always spoke her mind.

Bridge was sure that this was what attracted him to her in the first place. Later he noticed how pretty she was, but at first it was her spunk.

He admired that trait.

9.) He took Z home to meet his mother and father when they'd been dating for three months. At first, he worried about what his mom's reaction would be.

Amy Carson took to Z immediately, and that was important to both he and Z.

10.) Before he proposed, he asked Z's Uncle Max for permission. When Z said yes and hugged him, he admitted he participated in the old tradition.

It was the only time he had ever seen Z cry.


	7. Lily

**Those Little Things**

1.) Her mother told her she was dancing before she could even walk. It always put a smile on her face, watching her little girl wiggle her hips.

Lily loved to dance for her mother. Even as a child, she was a cheerful person. She took pride in making others happy. A smile and a grateful hug was enough for Lily.

2.) She had one distant, faded memory of her father. He was tucking her into her yellow bed, slipping her teddy bear into her little arms. He told her she was his princess.

He left soon after that. She remembered her mom gently explaining that Daddy had to go away for awhile.

He never came back.

3.) She had a brother who was four years older than she was. After their dad took off, Caleb was the one who looked out for her. He took the place of a father figure.

She adored Caleb. He played with her and never minded when she tagged along, even when he was with his friends. He helped her do her homework and do her simple chores. He walked her home after school.

He was everything a big brother should be.

4.) She was popular at school, a result of her bubbly, outgoing personality. She was on the dance squad and the track team, earning her more friends.

Halfway through her freshman year of high school, Caleb decided he was going to do something that changed their lives. He applied and was accepted to Pai Zhuq.

She could not imagine life without her brother. At the end of her school year, she applied to the prestigious academy as well.

5.) She befriended Theo on their first day. He was quiet and seemed hard working, but he was all alone at his lunch table.

Her heart went out to him, and she confidently strode up and asked if she could sit down.

After that, they did everything together. She developed a crush on her new best friend, and wished she could do something about it.

6.) Hard as Lily tried to keep an open mind and find a reason to like everybody, she always got bad vibes from Jarrod.

He abused his position as a high ranking student. He picked on the cubs and constantly broke rules.

It was not really a shock to her that Jarrod was angry when Casey was chosen over him.

7.) She liked her life in Ocean Bluff. She had a job and a great place to live. She had three of the best guys in the world as her roommates, and she had a new gal pal in Fran.

Oh, and she couldn't forget her ranger powers. Fast as a cheetah was right. Plus, she was yellow. She'd always liked yellow. It was cheerful, just like her.

And still, sometimes she wondered. If her father had known she would one day be a hero, would he have stuck around? Would he have been proud of her?

8.) She was torn between Casey and Theo for a long time. Theo had been her best friend for years, and she had worked hard to get through to him.

But on the other hand, she liked Casey and enjoyed his company. She found herself seeking him out more and more often.

Casey confronted her about her feelings. She fibbed, and she knew she shouldn't have. It wasn't fair to Theo; she'd liked him first. She tried to focus on her relationship with her best friend.

In the end, when the final battle had been fought, she accepted Theo's date.

Finally making a decision was a weight from her shoulders.

9.) It was the wrong decision. She knew ten minutes into the date that she and Theo could never be more than friends. The crush she harbored during their early years was just a crush.

Fortunately, Theo realized this as well, and was not hurt at all when she shyly told him she'd prefer not to see him in that context again.

Still, she found herself attracted to Casey. She double checked with Theo before approaching Casey again. She was glad to see her "little brother" comment didn't seem to matter.

10.) She thought being a ranger would be the most worthwhile thing she would ever do.

She was wrong.

Being a mother was her world the second she held her son for the first time. There was no greater adventure.

It was everything to her that she could share children with the man she loved.


	8. Casey

**Those Little Things**

1.) He was the middle child. There was no such thing as "middle child syndrome" as far as he was concerned. Maybe it was because he was the only boy, but he knew his mother, father, and stepmother loved him as much as they loved his sisters.

He loved his sisters, too. Kara and Natalie never tried to exclude him from their girly games, and they could usually work out a compromise so there were boy games as well.

2.) He was absent on what should have been his first day of kindergarten. He was in the hospital with his mother, trying not to cry.

She'd died of breast cancer at the age of thirty–two. She left behind three small children and a clueless but loving husband.

He remembered Kara doing her best to help around the house. Then his dad met Bella, and he remembered thinking how lucky they all were. She jumped right into her role of mother, no questions asked.

He never felt like a stepson to Bella. She loved him and his sisters like they were hers.

3.) When Kara was fourteen and he was twelve, he worried about her. She fell into the wrong crowd as she started high school.

He kept a lot of things his sister did from his father and Bella. He just wanted Kara to be OK, and at the time he thought keeping her secrets was the best way to achieve this.

But they did find out about all the parties and sneaking out. They were able to put a stop to it, but it still haunted him that she could have gotten hurt, and no one would have known where she was.

4.) After Kara's wild child days, it was more important to him than ever to set an example for Natalie.

He was a good big brother, and he never once blew her off. He would drop anything for her, just so she knew she could always come to him.

She did, often, and he was proud of himself.

5.) Every year on his mother's birthday, he went to see her. He went alone; his father and sisters had other ways to grieve.

He knew, deep down, that it was silly to talk to a stone with his mother's name on it. But it made him feel like she was still involved in his life.

He also knew it hurt Bella, even if she never said so. But Marissa Rhodes _was_ his mother, and he went anyway.

6.) He went to Pai Zhuq because he wanted to do _something._ He was unsure of what he really wanted to do with his life. He didn't know where he wanted to go to college, let alone what he wanted to major in.

Then he heard two guys discussing the prestigious martial arts academy. His interest was peaked.

He was pleased when they accepted him, and couldn't wait to get started.

7.) When he was given his Solar Morpher for the first time, in the back of his mind there were doubts that he could really make a difference.

He was just a cub. That had been made abundantly clear by Jarrod.

Then he got a handle on things, and it was easier and easier to suit up.

8.) He was attracted to Lily before they were rangers. He had seen her around a few times, and she seemed bouncy and fun. Even from a distance he could tell she had a good heart.

It was only once they were part of the same team that he began to notice how beautiful she was, inside _and_ out.

9.) Theo was his teammate. He tried to learn to work with him but the blue ranger was determined to butt heads with him.

Once he tried to look at things from Theo's point of view, he could understand why he seemed to hate him so much.

But once in a while, he would have loved to give Theo something to whine about.

10.) Lily showed up at his door two weeks after the disastrous date with Theo.

She never left.

He didn't want her to.


	9. Cassie

_A/N: So, I'm a little iffy about this one. I like Cassie as a ranger, but I don't know if she's right. I'm basing her being a bad singer on "Passing the Torch," because she was really off key singing on the bus, at least to me, but her bio says she was pursuing a music career. Feedback for this one is much appreciated._

_This one is for __**Superspyder CJ**__, who requested Cassie and TJ._

**Those Little Things**

1.) She wanted to be a singer more than anything. It didn't matter that she wasn't very good, that she sang off key sometimes.

All throughout school, she was a member of the choir, end even though she never got a solo, she never gave up.

2.) And even though they had to know she wasn't very good, her friends and family always supported her. When she was denied another solo, she would get a "maybe next time" from her mom, or a "the choir director doesn't know what she's doing," from her friends.

It was these types of comments that made her feel special.

It was those encouragements and support that made her decide to try.

She was on a bus at sixteen, ready to face any challenges she might find, and hopefully everything would work out.

3.) That bus ride did change her life, just not in ways she would have expected.

She met a boy, one who was trying to achieve his dreams. She liked that they were kindred spirits.

And then they were off on a crazy adventure, along with three others.

She had left to do something meaningful in her life.

Now she had.

4.) She developed a crush on her new friend TJ almost immediately after they met. He knew he had some big shoes to fill, but he was brave and smart and determined. It didn't hurt that he was just so _nice_.

She admired him for always doing his best.

But even though she liked the new red ranger, she couldn't help but be intrigued by the Phantom Ranger.

It wasn't until much later that she realized how her brief infatuation with their mysterious colleague hurt her friend.

5.) She was afraid the day Divatox won. She had no idea what was coming for them next, and it absolutely terrified her.

Then they all got another chance when Andros came and gave them new morphers.

It reminded her that it was never too late. Not really.

6.) Sometimes, she watched Ashley get ready to go out with Andros with a heavy, jealous heart. She would silently wish it was her preparing for a date with a certain blue ranger.

But then she would smile at her yellow clad friend before going to help choose accessories.

After all, if it was going to happen, it would.

7.) It was too similar to what happened with Divatox, the Countdown to Destruction. They almost lost, again.

But then, suddenly, the wave caused by Zordon's sacrifice reverberated through the galaxy, and it was all over.

They had made up for their mistakes.

They had won.

8.) It was TJ who helped her most after Kendrix's death. She often woke, breathing heavily and covered in sweat, another nightmare having plagued her mind yet again.

Then she would call TJ, and he sat up with her for hours at a time, never complaining he'd had a rough practice or game the day before. He constantly reminded her that it wasn't her fault; that as rangers, you had to be willing to do certain things for the good of the team, and that was what Kendrix had done.

He gave her too much credit, informing her that he was sure she would have done the same thing for any of them.

Sometimes, she wasn't exactly so certain. She was the veteran ranger; she should have been the one to sacrifice herself.

9.) What'd she'd wished for as a ranger finally came true four years after the "Z-Wave."

She went to TJ's house when she heard from Ashley that all the reds had gone off to the moon for some insane red-exclusive mission.

She waited for hours, refusing to leave until she had seen with her own eyes that he was safe.

When she'd seen the headlights, she'd bounded off the porch and run to him, not caring about anything but the fact that he was still in one piece.

She'd barely managed to say his full name angrily before he finally, finally kissed her.

It was even better than she had hoped.

10.) Many years later, once they'd gotten married and had their children, nothing made her smile more easily than seeing TJ play with the kids. Their sons aspired to be just like their father, and their daughter adored him.

And the feelings were mutual. TJ was an amazing, loving father who thought the world of his kids.

Somehow, she'd always known he would.


	10. TJ

**Those Little Things**

1.) He had so many dreams riding on his baseball career. He'd been playing as long as he could remember. He put in hours and hours of practice. His Little League and middle school coaches always admired his drive.

He wanted to go all the way to the majors. He wanted to buy two big houses, one for him, and one for his hardworking parents. He wanted to be hounded for autographs and have kids ask to take their pictures with him.

When he got on that bus, he was expecting things to change.

2.) He hadn't expected one of those changes to be that he would fall in love.

That girl on the bus…she just blew him away. She was pretty, but it didn't look like she tried too hard. And the way she was singing her heart out, moving her head to the music… There was just something about her.

And her name. What a perfect name. Cassie.

3.) He also hadn't expected to become a power ranger. Who knew that those colorful protectors were _teenagers_?

And now he was one of them. Red was his favorite ranger color. As a kid in middle school, he'd had a poster of the red morphin' ranger.

He did get kids wanting to take pictures with him. Just not in his baseball uniform.

4.) He wanted nothing more than the Phantom Ranger to reveal himself to Cassie. He obviously meant a lot to her. It would give the rest of them peace of mind to know that all the mysteries were solved.

And Cassie would be happy. That was what mattered. If Phantom was who Cassie wanted, then he only wanted the best for the two of them.

That was what he told himself, anyway.

5.) He failed. He didn't lead his team to victory like the other red rangers had.

He was a failure. He was such a failure that when they met Andros, he could hardly stand to talk to him, though he didn't let himself show it. Why had he been the only red ranger to fail?

He deserved nothing that came with more responsibility than being the blue ranger.

Sometimes, he wanted to rebel against perfect Andros' orders.

He would have given anything for another shot at being red.

6.) When they got out of the Countdown to Destruction mess, he was so, so glad. He was done being a ranger for the time being.

There were just too many close calls. After each one, he had to remind himself that they might not be so lucky next time. "Close call" could turn into tragedy.

Next time, it could be Ashley or Andros. Next time, it could be Carlos or Zhane. Next time, it could be him.

Next time, it could be Cassie.

7.) Cassie was a wreck after the battle she and Kendrix had fought against Psycho Pink. She was convinced that the death of her fellow pink ranger was her fault.

She cried for hours after they left the Galaxy team. It was late in the night when he woke up and went to her, cradling her as she sobbed. He stayed with her until she went back to sleep.

When he tried to gently detach her from his torso, she clung to him even more tightly.

8.) He had known Cassie would be waiting at home for him after the red ranger mission. When Andros had called Ashley to check in, he had told his fellow red to mention to Ashley that _all_ the reds had participated. He knew that Ashley would be sure to pass along the message to Cassie.

And sure enough, she was there on his porch when he arrived home. He had never seen so terrified.

That was why he kissed her. He was trying to tell her he'd never scare her like that again.

9.) He invited Kendrix and Leo Corbett to he and Cassie's wedding as an extra surprise for his bride.

He couldn't help but grin as he watched Kendrix hug Cassie. She bore no grudges, and that helped finally put Cassie at ease with her ranger career.

10.) Sometimes he got asked what the hardest part of his job was.

It wasn't facing different pitchers or the constant jet lag. It wasn't even that he could barely keep track of where he was going next.

It was being away from Cassie, from Sam and Freddie and Carly.

The first thing he did every time he came home was hug his kids before turning to Cassie and reminding her he loved her.


	11. Jen

**Those Little Things**

1.) She grew up in a big house on the outskirts of Millennium City. Her parents had renovated the long abandoned property when they were young, and they had really made it something special. To her, it seemed there was a kind of magic about it, floating in the halls, or maybe wrapped up in the little turret at the top of the house.

Everything she learned that would help her she learned in that house. Her big brothers used to play all sorts of games with her. They would run around the big lawn in the front of the house and climb everything in sight, and they played hide and seek with her for hours, always wondering how their baby sister found them every single time.

Who would have known that such simple childhood games would be building blocks for later in life?

2.) Originally, she met Alex through her middle brother, Randy. He and Alex were friends at school. One day, she walked into the kitchen after school to get a snack, and there he was, helping her brother study.

It was the first time she remembered thinking a boy was cute.

For the rest of the afternoon she found excuses to go into the kitchen, just so she could look at him.

Later, Randy teased her about it, and she denied everything. Then she punched her brother and tried to forget it had ever happened.

3.) Three years later, she saw Alex again. It was her first day at Time Force, and Alex was one of her instructors. When he saw her, he made an expression close to a smile and welcomed her.

That night, she fell asleep smiling into her pillow. He remembered her.

Somehow, the simple fact that a cute boy remembered her name was the best thing to happen to her. It made her determined to impress him.

With Alex's tutelage and her determination, she rocketed to the top.

4.) And then it was all taken from her. Alex was killed in a fight with one of the most notorious criminals Time Force had ever encountered, and then she and her team were on their way a thousand years in the past to stop him.

There was no time for her to grieve, no time for her to attempt to deal with the fact that the man she loved was no longer there with her.

The only thing she had to keep her going was the vendetta she carried against Ransik. She was determined to make him pay.

5.) She wanted to hate Wes. She wanted to hate him for trying to take the place of their real leader; for being in the red suit she had always thought Alex would wear.

She wanted to hate him for being so damn happy.

But as she got used to seeing a smile on his face and hearing his laugh, she found that she couldn't hate him. He was too easy to like.

6.) When she found out Alex had lied to her and faked his death, it was impossible for her to trust him. He _lied_ to her.

By that logic, she also should have stopped trusting and caring about Wes. He had tricked her and the others into going back to their own time period.

But it was different with Wes somehow, maybe because he really _was_ willing to give up his life for hers.

That was why she gave Alex his ring back before going to help Wes. She knew it was more important to be with Wes.

He loved her, and she could finally admit that she loved him, too. At least they could go down fighting together.

7.) Leaving Wes a thousand years in the past was the harder than leaving Alex in the future with the engagement ring.

It honestly felt like someone had ripped her heart in two.

When she was sent back again in search of the Mut–Orgs, she was torn. The whole year she'd been back at Time Force, she missed Wes, and would have given anything to see him again.

On the other hand, leaving him again would be unbearable.

8.) Katie was the one to show her something that changed her life again. It was common knowledge that past military organizations that trained rangers led to the creation of Time Force.

She was reminded of this unnecessarily, but then Katie showed her one of the SPD Commanders…one who looked like Wes. Katie went on to tell her that this commander was Wes' son.

This information confused her. Why would she want to know that Wes had a son? Katie, frustrated, finally blurted out that she was the man's mother.

Two days later, Captain Logan gave her permission to go back to the year 2002 and live out the remainder of her life with Wes.

9.) Wes reacted just as she'd hoped he would. When she told him she was there to stay, he picked her up and spun her around, laughing.

Then he set her down and laid the kind of kiss on her that she'd never shared with Alex.

He whispered two words into her hair as she was tugged into the house.

"Welcome home."

10.) After Wes' death she wondered if her coming back was the reason he died in the first place.

If she had stayed in 3001, he would have stayed with the Silver Guardians. But she had returned, and they were offered positions with the fledgling SPD Earth base.

It was all her fault. She had no husband and their son had no father, and it was _all her fault._

She was sure that Sky hated her for a long time.

It wasn't until Sky was married and had children of his own that she realized that he had never hated her.

That was when she started to forgive herself.


	12. Wes

**Those Little Things**

1.) He wished he remembered more of his mother. He had exactly two memories of her. One was of her all dressed up to go out to some fancy party, laughing as she fixed his father's tie.

The other was of her showing him to make cookies. She showed him the recipe and helped him measure out the ingredients. He remembered when the cookies were finished, she brought him a big glass of milk and they enjoyed their snack together.

But then she died when he was five, and these memories were the only reminders he had of Rachel Collins.

2.) He knew his dad really tried to be a good father to him, especially after his mom died. He remembered his dad trying to rearrange his schedule to spend time with him.

But as he got older, it became apparent to him that he and his dad were just too different to be close. He didn't care about money and expanding the company the way his father did. His father didn't care about doing good with the wealth and power he possessed like Wes did.

And so, their relationship was strained.

3.) He always liked Eric Meyers. He didn't feel sorry for him, or whatever it was Eric seemed to think. He actually preferred that Eric was at prep school on a scholarship. He didn't care about money.

But still, Eric kept his distance. That was just his way; being alone was his habit. Wes tried to respect that; he really did.

It would have been nice to have a normal friend for once, though.

4.) He was sure for a very long time that Jen had bipolar disorder. How else could she be so different from one minute to the next?

Sometimes, she relaxed with the rest of the team. She was willing to try new things, especially when he was the one showing her.

And other times, she was so wound up about their side jobs, or training, or catching yet another criminal that he wondered how she could breathe.

5.) He really hated the Silver Guardians at first. This was _his_ thing, saving the city. Rolling up his sleeves and getting his hands dirty was for _him_, so _he_ knew he wasn't just some spoiled rich kid.

Everything had been fine.

But no. His father had to stick his nose in every single aspect of his life.

6.) When he found out Jen had been engaged to someone who looked eerily similar to him, something in him broke. There was no way she would pick him, even if she ever got over Alex.

He tried to understand, though. Of course she wouldn't want the painful reminder of her fiancé. He could relate; if he were in her shoes he wouldn't want some carbon copy of the person he'd loved.

He tried to focus on the insight to Jen that this revelation gave him. Now he knew why she worked so hard, and why she loathed Ransik.

Now he knew why she sometimes looked at him with unexplained sadness in her eyes.

7.) He was going to die. He was prepared to die for Katie and Lucas and Trip. He was prepared to die for Jen. All that mattered was that his friends got to live; that they were safe.

When he stood by Eric's side that day, surrounded on all sides by Ransik's soldiers, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Jen flashed through his mind, and then he was ready to keep going no matter what happened.

And then, miracle of miracles, there were sudden flashes of color. His friends were there, fighting with him.

It was worth everything they had gone through when Ransik turned himself in.

8.) He hadn't been planning on getting a real good–bye with Jen. He had just assumed he would not be seeing her again.

It was harder, he decided, to actually be alive and missing her, rather than dying for her. He thought about her constantly. He wondered what she was doing; if she had made up with Alex.

It was even harder to have her leave him again.

9.) "Too good to be true," was what he thought when she came back for the third time. Hadn't she explained that she could not stay with him? Wouldn't her being in the past ruin the timeline?

But she told him she had to come back so history would run its proper course. They would have a son who would go on to be both a power ranger and a base commander – a base that would help establish Time Force.

Basically, Jen went on, they were meant to fall in love.

10.) He was proud of everything he had accomplished over his years as a ranger, a Silver Guardian, and later an SPD officer.

But none of those things even came close to the way it felt when he looked at his son.

Hearing Sky ask him to play, or even just calling him "Dad," was the very best feeling.


	13. Madison

**Those Little Things**

1.) She loved fairy–tales. When she was a little girl, she would spend hours and hours reading story books and playing Princess and Knights with Vida and Chip. She knew all of the classics by heart: Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty…

Her very favorite fantasy story was always "The Little Mermaid" though. She liked how two people could overcome all obstacles to be together, just because they loved each other so much.

2.) Sometimes, she wished she was brave like her sister. She always had Vida to defend her, and as she grew up, Chip and Xander were there as well. But it would have been nice to feel like she could take care of herself.

If Vida could do it, then why couldn't she?

3.) She got into filmmaking when she was thirteen. She had gone to a local film festival and it was amazing to her what even amateurs could do with the right equipment and a vision.

And she'd always been an observer. She was known as "the quiet one" of the group, and she could _always _spot when someone was having a difficult day. She was intuitive like that. She could make documentaries.

So she researched different kinds of video cameras, and she spent months saving up for a top of the line recorder. It was special becase she'd earned it herself, and she guarded the camera with her life.

4.) She loved her friends. They were her family, and she wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Even as Chip tried to shove his dorky hobbies in their faces and Xander lolled around and Vida turned up the music to drown out all the noise, Maddie would just smile to herself, thankful that she had them.

5.) For reasons she couldn't explain, she felt drawn to Nick that first day. He just seemed so alone, and her heart went out to him She couldn't help but feel she would be like him if it weren't for Vida, Chip and Xander.

She really, really wanted him to stay. He needed some sense of family, so why couldn't he be part of theirs?

6.) When Nick almost quit during the final battle, something in her errupted. She couldn't believe he would even think about abandoning their team, their _family._

And she remembered how she had always wanted to be more like Vida. This was her shot to really speak her mind, so she gladly took it. She _had_ to make him stay.

It worked, thankfully. She felt a kind of confidence that she had rarely, if ever, experienced before.

7.) Nick was gone for exactly three months. She missed him a lot, but he did call her to let her know how things were going. It was nice to just talk about normal things with him for once.

But he did come home, and it was just like it used to be, bar the monster atacks of course. He came back to work at Rock Porium, and it was like their family had never been broken apart.

Sometimes, he would smile at her, and her heart did a weird fluttery thing. She would blush and turn away, wondering if he felt the same things she did.

8.) When she went away to film school, Nick told her it was his turn to wait for her. He said he would be patient, that she should take all the time she needed to chase her dreams.

As he told her this, she realized that Nick _did_ feel the same way about her as she did about him. It felt like her heart did tha weird fluttery thing about a hundred times faster than it ever had before.

And she kissed him. He kissed back.

9.) The piece she was proudest of directing was something she had done for her final project for school. The assignment was to make a short film about something from her own life. Hers was about her and Nick, about wanting to be with someone who was busy with their own life.

It was shown at the little awards ceremony that celebrated all the graduates' hard work. To her surprise, her movie won first place in the autobiography category. But that wasn't why she liked it so much.

Nick was there in the audience, along with her family and friends. When they were all done congratulating her, Nick took her aside. He told her the film had made him realize he was tired of being away from her. He realized they were young, but he was ready to settle down.

He asked her to marry him, and she said yes.

10.) She got her happily ever after. She got her prince, and her castle. She got two lovely children, a boy named Tyler and a girl called Julia, and she adored them. She got the career she always wanted.

Some parts of fairy tales had to be true.


	14. Nick

**Those Little Things**

1.) His adoptive parents, Robert and Katherine Russell, told him he was adopted the day he thought he was old enough to understand. He was five, and he remembered holding his red blanket as Katherine pulled him onto her lap.

The explanation was very kind, and he took it a lot better than most five year olds would have. And he didn't feel abandoned or unloved, like some adopted kids did.

He felt wanted by the Russells, who were so friendly and loving he didn't care he wasn't really theirs, because they didn't.

2.) The Russells adopted another child, a girl three years older than him, when he was six. Her name was Leah, and even though he was a bit jealous of her at first, it was impossible not to love her.

Together, they went on all sorts of adventures, climbing trees and getting dirty and making new friends. Through it all they formed a strong sibling bond. Nick was sure he would have done anything for his sister, and knew Leah would do the same.

3.) The first time he ever got that feeling of abandonment so common in adopted kids was when Leah went away to college. She had chosen some school in Briarwood, three hours from their home in San Angeles.

He was angry with her for months. With not much else to do, he started getting into motorcycles. Katherine's brother, his Uncle Logan, had one, and he started teaching Nick how to ride and maintain them not too long after Leah's depart.

And it felt _good_, going speeding down the freeway with the adrenaline rush coursing through his body.

When his parents announced that they were going overseas to do charity work, they bought him his first motorcycle.

4.) When Leah told him she missed him and wanted him to come and stay for awhile, he leapt at the chance. Sure, Uncle Logan and Cousin Jean and her husband were all very kind, going out of their way to make him feel welcome, but something just didn't feel right.

Nothing was how he had expected it to be. Briarwood was a picturesque town, and he had hoped he would be able to stay put for awhile, and have a calm life.

But that fate wasn't in the cards. He showed his true colors as a kind, thoughtful person when he heard that old man needed his help.

A power ranger. He was a power ranger.

5.) He knew Madison liked him before she realized it herself. Nick could tell when she came to him and tried to convince him to stay. She was cute, he thought, in her neat little outfit and her hair in a smooth ponytail, her face a friendly smile.

He replayed that conversation a thousand times in the first few weeks. It was kind of nice to be wanted, and staying in Briarwood had turned out to be the best decision he could have made.

He got to be close to his sister again, he had a job to earn a little extra pocket money, and he was sure whenever Madison smiled at him that he had friends as well.

6.) Nick was always grateful for the things he had in Briarwood, but they were the easy parts of his life. Being a ranger was _hard_, and he wondered why he had ever thought it would be a piece of cake.

It was pure insanity, was what it was. This life he had chosen for himself was nothing but chaos. There was training, both physical and magical. There was studying magic, which he had to take great pains to hide from Leah.

And then there were the battles themselves. The schemes were crazy with even crazier monsters, and he and his friends had to keep them from succeeding. He came home with scrapes and bruises, and he knew his sister had her suspicions. Sometimes he laid in bed at night wondering why he had stayed.

But every time he had thoughts like that, Nick remembered his friends. He thought of Vida's temper, and how they were always at odds. He thought of Chip's eagerness to learn, to protect. He thought of Xander's charming manner, and how it never failed to amuse them when he was turned down again. And then there was Madison, with her shy smile and quiet faith in her friends. Nick knew that his friends would have been angry with him if they knew he questioned his decision at times.

7.) Finding his mother had been right under his nose the whole time was a shock. But Nick welcomed it. After all, Udonna had treated all of them as her children ever since the beginning. She was kind and loving, and never once failed to let them know when she was proud.

His father was a slightly different story though. Koragg was their _enemy_.

8.) When Madison yelled at him that day, he saw something in her eyes that he had never seen there before. And he was glad for it, that spark of pure determination. He couldn't quit.

Maddie wouldn't let him.

He had to acknowledge, in that one moment, that he was in love with her.

9.) But he didn't. He took the easy way out. He left her standing in the street, clutching his baby blanket and repeating a promise to herself.

Every single day he was away from her, he hated himself. Yes, he owed the Russells an explanation. Yes, he wanted his mother and father to meet the people who had raised him.

Still, even surrounded by both sets of his parents, Nick felt empty somehow. It was only the slightest bit better when he was able to talk to Maddie. Nick could tell that she missed him, too.

10.) If anyone would have asked him if he believed in magic, there was only one answer. How could he not? His mother and father were a witch and a wizard, after all, and so was he. He had used magic first hand, and used it for the good of everyone.

And though these were all solid reasons for his belief in the extraordinary, the real reason he believed in magic was because of Madison.

Even as they grew together, grew from the two of them to a full on family when their children were born, Nick was so in love with her. Somehow, she managed to make everything better.

What Nick felt for his little mermaid never faded, and that was why he believed in magic.


End file.
